Clothespin



July 5, 1927.

P. H. W. WENDT CLOTHE$PIN Filed March 17. 1927 INVENTOR Patented July 5, 1927.

PAUL n. w. WENDT, or JERSEY CITY, NEW :rnnsEY.

CLOTHESPIN Application filed. March 17, 1927. Serial No. 175,993.

My invention relates to clothes-pins, and its ob ect 18 to provide at very low cost a strong and durable article for suspending garments or other articles to be dried from a clothes-line in such manner that they will be gripped so that there will be no danger of injury, to the garments, or liability of their becoi'ning accidentally separated from the pins, or the pins becoming detached from the lines even in most violent winds.

My improved clothes-pin comprises two members, each made of one piece of material, preferably non-corrosive wire, bentto peculiar shape, one member being pivotally connected at one end to the other member, allowing a swinging motion, so that it maybe moved into a position to pass over a portion of the other member with a'bight which yields and clamps a garment or other article of linen or textile fabric securely between the two members.

The device is equally well adapted for use either on a stationary clothes-line or a pulley line.

The details of construction and operation are hereinafter particularly described.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved clothespin when-not in use.

F 2 is a side elevation of the same showing it attached to a clothes-line of the pulley type, with a fabric clamped between the two members, the clothes-line and fabric being in cross section.

,Fig. 3 is a rear viewof the same, and

Fig. 4 is a detached rear view. of the clamping member, showing a modified form of securing its ends.

ber A of the clothes-pin consists of a single length of material, )referably non-corrosive wire, bent over at 10, to form two opposite" jawsll and 12, which slightly diverge so that the space between them is somewhat greater at the lower part, than at the top.

The portion forming the jaw 11 is of greater length than the jaw 12, and extends downwardly incurved slightly below the jaw 12, and then curve-d outwardly and upwardly as at 13, with its end inwardly and upwardly curved as at 14, within the bend 18.

The jaw 12 has a hooked'end 15 to receive the eye 16, at the upper end of the 'member B, providing a pivotal connection between the two members A and B.

The member B is also made of a single piece of material, preferably non-corrosive wire, bent oy and upon itself to form the eye 16, and the two spaced and parallel bars 17 and 18, which at a predetermined distance below the eye 16 are bent towards each other, their ends being twisted together, not only to retain the desired shape of the member B, but to provide a hand grip or handle 19. VV-hile I prefer to twist the lower ends of the bars 17 and 18 together as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be readily understood that they may be secured together in any suitable. manner, such for instance as shown in Fig. 1, by a knob 20.

After the members A and B have been assembled by placing the eye 16 of the member B over the hook 15'at the end of the jaw 12, the end of such hook is bent close to the jaw 12, so that there is no possibility of the members becoming accidentally separated, and when so oined the lowercurved portion of the member A will be in alignment with the opening between the side bars 17 and 18 of the member This opening is of predetermined length so that when the member B is swung over towards the member A, the curved lower end of the member A contacts closely with the bottom of such opening, but the wire of the member A has sufiicient yield to permit the passage of the curved portion of the member A into and through such opening in the member B with very slight pressure upon the handle 19 of the member B.

I prefer to slightly indent the wire of the member A at the point 21 to form a notch V "or recess into which the member B snaps Referring to the drawing, the body memwhen passed over the lower curved portion of the member A to check its forward movement. I

The operation of lows The pin is attached to the line 22 by passing the 12 over the line and then drawing thepin down until the line is firmly gripped between the jaws 11 and 12, there being sufficient yield in the wire for this purpose.

One edge of the garment or fabric 23 to be suspended is then passed over and around the curved portion of the member- A as shown in Figs; 2 and 3. The member B is then swung forward towards the member A and over its lower curved portion whereby the device is as fol- 

